


That's What Brothers Are For

by thatwriterjenni



Series: 100 Ways to Say I Love You [20]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Brothers, Comfort, Fluff, Nightmares, Young Renly Baratheon, Young Robert Baratheon, Young Stannis Baratheon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-10
Updated: 2016-11-10
Packaged: 2018-08-30 03:47:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8517361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatwriterjenni/pseuds/thatwriterjenni
Summary: Part 20 of the 100 ways to say i love you prompt challenge. Stannis & Renly with the prompt: it's okay i couldn't sleep anyway.A young Renly Baratheon has a nightmare and comes to a young Stannis Baratheon for comfort.





	

The boys mother had told Robert not to tell young Renly such frightening stories. Robert of course had not listened and as the three brothers Stannis, Robert, and Renly sat together the boy told all of the stories. The soldiers had told their ghost stories to the boy so he passed them on to his two brothers. When they had finished the ever proud Renly had promised he was not frightened by the stories. The two other boys believed it as Renly puffed up his chest and stomped about like he did not have a fear in the world.

The two older boys watched Renly as they made their way to supper with their parents. They were sure that he would burst into tears at any time but the boy had stayed calm. He ate his food and even kept up with the polite conversation which he almost never did. Their mother was suspicious at first but just chocked it up to Renly being a good boy like he always was for her.

Once the food was eaten and the wine drank their mother sent the boys off to go play. Renly went on his own to go play with some of the bannermen. 

"I think he is going to tell mother." Stannis told Robert as the two stood watching Renly play with his friends. The boys swung around play swords and shouted out commands as if they were commanding armies like their fathers. 

"He is not going to tell father- you worry to much." Robert complained, looking from the boys to Stannis. "This is boring- we should go do something else. I do not want to sit here and wait for him to start crying for mother like a babe. He is going to be fine."

Stannis watched Renly for a few more moments before he nodded, "Alright we can go but if he starts crying about the stories I am going to put all the blame on you."

Robert and Stannis ran off the go play with the older boys for a while until it was time for them to go to bed. In all of the time that they were playing they did not hear one thing about little Renly crying. It was a happy surprise for them and Stannis thought that his brother may be stronger than he once thought. The boys all readied for bed before they laid down in their rooms to rest for the night. Stannis laid in his bed and just looked up at the ceiling.

For a while Stannis simply watched the wall and listened around their home. He could hear people walking around as well at the adults who had yet to fall asleep. Some spoke, some did chores, and others made sounds that he was unsure of. Rather than think too much about any of it he just laid there waiting to fall asleep. After some time had passed he started to hear more sounds the creaking of floors as well at the moans of the ghosts from one of the stories Robert had told him. He was very aware of each sound as if they were going to be sinister sounds meant to hurt him. 

Tiny footsteps came from down the hall and started to get closer to his room. Stannis' heart raced as he thought of what it could be. Ghosts? Demons? Evil men? It could be any number of things from the stories Robert had told them. Stannis had written those tales off as simply a frightening tale told by soldiers to an impressionable little lord. Now as the steps grew closer Stannis believed every single word.

They stopped in front of his door and he swallowed, moving to sit up. He looked around his chambers for something that he could use to defend himself. He saw his blunt old sword but knew that blunt swords could not protect him from the dead. He took in a shaky breath, closing his eyes as he waited for something to happen. Slowly the door creaked open, Stannis could hear his heartbeat in his ears as he stared at the wall. He took in some shaky breaths buying himself time because he was petrified to see what was entering his room. Finally he thought he had the courage as he got himself ready to look. 

Just before he turned to look he heard a familiar voice, "Stannis?"

Stannis looked over to see Renly standing in the doorway. The boy smiled, motioning to Renly to come over. Renly closed the door before he moved over to the bed. Stannis was relieved to see that it was his brother, brushing the dark locks away from his face.

"What are you doing in here, Renly?" Stannis asked the boy.

"I had a nightmare about the stories." Renly admitted, looking down at his feet not to proud to tell his brother that he had been scared. He had acted brave when they were going about their days but he had been afraid the whole time. "Can I sleep with you tonight?"

Stannis moved over on the bed, patting a spot for his brother to lay in. "Of course- just this once though." He warned the boy. They both knew it was not true though, Stannis would always fall for those pitiful pouting lips and batting of the eyelashes Renly seemed to do.

The younger Baratheon grinned before moving up into his brothers bed. Renly watched Stannis, realizing what he had done. "Oh- did I am sorry if I woke you brother. I did not mean to wake you up."

"It's okay I couldn't sleep anyways." Stannis promised his little brother. The boys laid back in the bed, both staring at the ceiling.

"Do you think the monsters will come get us?" Renly asked as he turned to look at his older brother.

Stannis turned to look at his brother and shook his head. "I know they will not- I am going to stay up and make sure they do not get you. Now get some rest little brother I will protect you." Stannis promised him.

Renly nodded and closed his eyes, able to fall asleep after a few minutes of lying there. Stannis laid watching his brother for a while. He thought about his promise to Renly, how he swore to protect him. He knew that he had only meant against the fake monsters that night but Stannis did mean it. 

"I will always protect you, little brother." Stannis whispered before he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.


End file.
